How To Progress From Jogging To Running As A Beginner

Let me first dispel one myth – there is no point where you cross over from being a jogger to being a runner.

It’s all to do with your mentality on a specific day. On certain days I’ll be bursting with energy and I’ll go out fast and end strong and feel like a runner. On lazier days I’ll plod along on an easy jog and enjoy myself.

Some say that running ‘occurs’ after you hit 6mph. If that’s true, what happens when you slightly slow your pace to say 5.95mph? Have you stopped running? What if you’re having a really bad day with pacing and keep flip-flopping between 5.95 and 6.05mph?

Are you rogging or junning?

It’s ludicrous.

You progress into a ‘runner’ whenever you truly feel like one.

It can take a month or two before you feel comfortable labelling yourself that. Hell I didn’t feel like a runner until I finished my first half marathon! It really hit home when some old guy stopped me in the street and said ‘Jesus you do ever stop running, boy? When did you become a runner?’

‘Just about now’ I thought to myself.

So in summary, if you’re new to the sport and someone says that you must run at x speed or run y miles a week to qualify as a runner, tell them to fuck off as you judge yourself by your own standards and you are one now!